Yuki Tsunoda, born on May 11, 2000 in Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan, is one of the great promises of international motorsports. Even at a very young age, Tsunoda has managed to stand out at every stage of his career, from his beginnings in karts to his current participation in Formula 1. With an aggressive driving style and a determined attitude, he has proven to be a driver with great ability to remain in the highest category of motorsports. Now, with his recent move to RB in the 2024 season, Tsunoda is in a strategic position to make history and become the first Japanese driver to win a Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix.
The first steps in motorsport
Tsunoda’s career began at a young age. At only four years old, he got into a kart for the first time and began to familiarize himself with the world of competitions. His ability quickly became evident and in 2010 he participated in the Junior class of the JAF All Japan Kart Championship. This was just the beginning of a series of karting achievements, most notably a second place in the 2015 JAF All Japan Kart Championship, which paved the way for the next stage of his professional career.
In 2016, Tsunoda made his single-seater debut in the Japanese Formula 4 Championship, where he raced for the Sutekina Racing Team. In just two races, he managed to finish in second and fourth place, a fact that left him in 16th position in the championship.
Despite this success, 2017 was even better, when he competed for Honda Formula Dream Project, winning three races and finishing third in the championship.
One of the brightest years of his career may perhaps be 2018, when he became champion of the Japanese Formula 4 after an outstanding season with seven victories.
In 2019 Tsunoda managed to enter the European arena with his participation in Formula 3, racing for the Jenzer Motorsport team. Despite facing a strong group of drivers, the young Japanese finished in ninth position in the championship, standing out with a victory at Monza. This season allowed him to earn a place in Red Bull’s young driver program, which would later lead him to participate in Formula 2 in 2020.
In the Formula 2 category, Tsunoda competed with the Carlin team and finished third in the championship. Thus, the driver achieved a total of three victories and had the opportunity to show his speed and consistency, impressing both fans and experts and consolidating his reputation as a young promise. His performance in F2 solidified his position as one of the best young drivers of his generation and secured him a seat in Formula 1.
Formula 1: Tsunoda’s first stage with AlphaTauri
In 2021, Tsunoda made his Formula 1 debut with the AlphaTauri team, alongside Pierre Gasly. In his first race, in Bahrain, he demonstrated his talent by scoring his first points and finishing in ninth position. Although the season was challenging, with ups and downs in his performance, the Japanese driver managed to stand out with courage and adaptability, finishing in 14th place in the championship with 32 points.
Despite his irregular performance, the young man showed glimpses of his potential, such as in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where he achieved fourth place, the team’s best result that year.
The 2022 season was more complicated. Although it had a promising start, it finished the season in 17th position and managed to accumulate only 12 points. The lack of consistency of the AlphaTauri team and the difficulty in adapting to a more challenging car were factors that ended up influencing the final result.
However, Tsunoda’s evolution as a driver was evident, and in 2023, despite racing with three different teammates (Nyck de Vries, Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson), he managed to improve his performance, score 17 points and finish in the 14th position in the championship. His best result was an eighth place in the long race and a sixth in a Sprint race.
Currently, Tsunoda runs with RB and it is believed that this could be the team that leads him to glory. Although no Japanese driver has won a Grand Prix in Formula 1 history so far, the young competitor has the potential to make history.
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